Washington's Alex Ovechkin, mid-ground, is helped off the ice after injuring his knee on Monday. (Gerry Broome/Associated Press)

Washington's Alex Ovechkin was suspended two games by the NHL on Tuesday for a knee-on-knee hit during Monday's game against Carolina.

Earlier Tuesday, the team announced that its Russian sniper was day-to-day after his knee was injured on the hit.

It marks the first time the hard-hitting Ovechkin has been suspended in his NHL career.

Ovechkin tested the knee at the Capitals' practice facility earlier in the day, skating for less than five minutes before leaving the ice.

"It's not a bad injury," Ovechkin said. "I thought it was going to be worse, but thank God I can walk, I can skate. Of course, it's a little bit sore, but it's not that serious."

The Capitals superstar was ejected from Monday's game after the hit on Carolina's Tim Gleason, which sent both players sprawling.

No. 8 looked as if he got rattled more, as he was lying on the ice for several minutes before he had to be helped to the locker-room while grimacing in pain. He received a five-minute major penalty for kneeing, and a game misconduct.

That was Ovechkin's second game misconduct penalty in the past three games, as he was also turfed out of a game against Buffalo last week because of a five-minute boarding penalty on Patrick Kaleta.

Ovechkin will miss Thursday's game against Florida and Saturday's contest against Philadelphia. He defended his actions Tuesday before the suspension came down, saying he didn't have time to get out of the way as Gleason changed directions.

"I can do nothing about it," Ovechkin said. "It's just a moment of the game. I turned and realize I don't have time to stop."

His coach, though, seems ready to have a chat with his superstar to see if he can tone down the rough stuff.

"He's pretty reckless," coach Bruce Boudreau said. "It's hard telling a guy that scores 60 goals a year to change the way he plays. At the same time, I don't want to see him getting hurt. Maybe he has to pick his spots a little better."

'I just play my game,' Ovechkin says

But Ovechkin was defiant when reporters asked if he would be willing to change how he plays the game.

"Why do I have to listen to somebody who say, 'Hey, you have to change your game, and somebody going to kill you,"' Ovechkin said. "Well, nobody going to kill me. I just play my game, and I just enjoy my time and I enjoy my life. It's me, and it is what it is.

"I play risky," he said. "I won't try, and hit and make some people get hurt, but people sometimes turn right away and I don't have time to realize and stop. What can you do? You can do nothing."

The Russian sniper leads Washington with 18 goals and 12 assists. He's already missed six games this season with an upper body injury.

With files from The Associated Press